The Italian Dolomites Festival Naturetrek Tour Report 4 - 11 July 2018 Alpine Heath resting on Fragrant Orchid Alpine Marmot Martagon Lily Spotted Nutcracker Report and images compiled by Alan Miller with flora input by Jessica Turner Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report The Italian Dolomites Tour participants: Jessica Turner, Pip O’Brien & Alan Miller (leaders) together with 20 Naturetrek clients Summary The Italian Dolomites - Wildlife Festival 2018 (week 3) tour group spent a week in stunning mountain scenery, enjoying fantastic vistas and wonderful flora and fauna. Initially the weather was unkind to us with some rain on the first few days, but then it settled down and we were able to enjoy the majesty of the mountains. Whilst we were there for the wildlife, most thought the environment and the views their lasting memory. We explored some fantastic places, walking through flower-rich meadows and alpine pastures. We alternated before-breakfast activities with the opportunity for a bird walk or to taste ‘mothing’ and see the diversity of moths attracted to our overnight moth trap. During the day we went to different places. Usually we stayed together till lunchtime and then there were long or short walk options for the afternoon, with at least one minibus getting back for 5pm so that people could enjoy the facilities at the hotel. The exception was on the middle Sunday where we split, and some went on a high alpine walk to the Brindelweg, above Pordoi Pass, whilst others went down the Sud Tirol to concentrate on insects. Also, due to the weather, we had a wet afternoon visit to the Ladin museum in Vigo de Fassa to learn about the history and culture of the people from this wonderful area. A group is only as good as the people who form it. We had a keen, interested and enthusiastic band of people. Thanks must go to all for sharing their expertise and helping each other. Once again, we were looked after very well by Stefano, Katia and all the staff at Hotel Gran Mugon; a super family-run hotel with good food and friendly faces which enhanced our stay. With lots of new and interesting sightings for the group, an extremely enjoyable week was spent in a lovely corner of Italy. Day 1 Wednesday 4th July Venice Airport to Tamion via the Agordo Gorge and Fedaia Pass For most of the group, including Pip, the tour started with a flight from London Gatwick to Marco Polo Airport, Venice which landed on schedule mid-afternoon. Jessica and Alan had been in Italy leading the previous week’s Dolomites Festival tour and met the arriving group at Venice airport. We also met Peter and Helen at the airport which completed our tour group. We were soon loaded into our minibuses and on our way towards the Dolomites. As we were leaving the airport our first sighting was of two Magpies and we hoped the line in the rhyme ‘one for sorrow, two for joy’ would be a good omen. Our route took us north along the A27 Autostrada and after an hour we left the motorway and drove through Belluno and into the National Park of the Bellunesi Dolomites. We stopped to stretch our legs in Agordo and some took the opportunity to taste their first gelato (ice cream) whilst others headed for the café. Once refreshed, we continued, but had to take a circuitous route to our destination over the Fedaia Pass at 2056 metres and through Canazei, because the day before we had experienced a tremendous mountain storm which had caused some damage and a landslide which had blocked our usual route over the San Pellegrino Pass. Driving through stunning scenery and under the Marmolada Glacier, we eventually reached the Fassa Valley and the delightful hamlet of Tamion near Vigo di Fassa. © Naturetrek August 18 1 The Italian Dolomites Tour Report We arrived at the family-run Hotel Gran Mugon at 8.30pm and were greeted by Stefano. With rooms allocated, we left our luggage and went straight to the dining room where we chatted and got to know each other over a delicious four-course dinner. After the meal and a welcome briefing, we retired after our long travelling day, but looking forward to the delights of the Dolomites tomorrow. Day 2 Thursday 5th July AM Costalunga Pass (1752m) & meadow above Tamion (1548m); PM Val di Monzoni (1526m & 1862m) The day dawned cloudy but fine and dry. The moth trap had been on overnight, so from 6.15am Alan checked the catch and group members came and went to see the process and to look at the trap and the moths. Some of the brighter and more interesting moths included Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Pine-tree Lappet, Peppered Moth, Flame Carpet, Purple Bar and the European Noctuid Panthea coenobite. After breakfast we met at the vehicles at 9am and before departing, a selection of moths was shown to the group before they were released. An amendment to the itinerary was necessary as the weather forecast was mixed, with a high likelihood of rain in the afternoon, and there was damage to the path leading to the meadows above Tamion caused by the storms two days earlier. To make best use of the time we drove the short distance to Costalunga Pass to examine the meadows and area beyond Pizzeria Antermont. The meadows were a riot of colour from the many wild flowers and, whilst Jessica and Pip pointed out plant specimens including Dark Rampion, Chives, Bearded Bellflower, Mountain Clover, Arnica, and Common Spotted, Alpine Broad-leaved Marsh and Fragrant Orchids, Alan introduced the group to butterflies including Blind Ringlet, Alpine Heath and Sooty Copper. A few birds were spotted including Black Redstart, Serin, Crag Martin and Alpine Swift. Before moving on we adjourned to the Pizzeria for late morning coffees. Suitably refreshed, we drove to the car park next to the meadow above Tamion. Much of the vegetation had been flattened by the earlier storm but on the meadow and adjacent, plants found included Eyebright, Clustered Bellflower and One-flowered Wintergreen, also known as St. Olaf’s Candlestick. Unfortunately, the Lady’s Slipper Orchids were well and truly over. We added Titania’s Fritillary and Meadow Brown to the butterfly list and enjoyed an obliging Goldcrest before the rain started to fall, so we headed back to Tamion for a picnic lunch in the shelter of our accommodation. It rained heavily over lunch but that didn’t deter some of the group. For the next couple of hours we split into three groups with some going to the upper Val di Monzoni, some the lower Val di Monzoni, and others staying to enjoy the hotel facilities. The ‘high’ group drove up the valley along a winding narrow road, parking at the Malga di Monzoni (a Malga is a summer cheese farm). Here the rock is granite, and so the soils are acid. Clumps of pink Alpenrose dotted the hillside, and we soon found Alpine Clematis sprawling through them. Alpine Wood Forget-me-not, Alpine Milk-vetch, Alpine Toadflax, a few Frog Orchids and a Small White Orchid were among the plants enjoyed, before we retired to the Malga for shelter and hot drinks. Meanwhile the ‘low’ group got to grips with the grass moths which were really the only things flying in the conditions. We also found a Vanilla Orchid in roadside vegetation before retiring to a nearby rifugio for warm drinks. With the rain and thunder rumbling around, we all had an early finish. 2 © Naturetrek August 18 The Italian Dolomites Tour Report Those interested in ‘listing’ re-convened at 6.30pm and we did our first session of recording trip sightings, which was followed by a briefing for everyone on the plans for tomorrow. We then adjourned to the dining room for our evening meal, during which we could see regular flashes of lightening and hear the rolls of thunder as the rain fell. It was not a night for the moth trap! Day 3 Friday 6th July AM Val San Nicolo (1526m); PM cultural visit to Ladin Museum After overnight rain the day dawned bright and clear with a little cloud over the mountain tops. At 6.45am a number of us set off along the lane for a bird walk. We got to grips with Italian Sparrows and enjoyed watching the Fieldfare which breed in the area. A Whinchat was a good spot, singing from a tall stem in the meadow. We also enjoyed watching a party of Spotted Nutcrackers move through the trees, and a Crested Tit showed well. After breakfast, we all met at 9am and headed across the valley for a walk in Val San Nicolo. We drove to the car park at the end of the access road and then set off to walk along the valley with its rich flower-filled meadows, with dark-blue Meadow Clary set against masses of Hay Rattle. It was overcast, still and warm and although the sun wasn’t shining, there were a few insects about. Grass moths were abundant, and we found Small Pearl- bordered, Pearl-bordered and Titania’s Fritillaries. We could hear Spotted Nutcrackers and Song Thrush. A Common Buzzard flew over and Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat were singing. We added Superb Pink, Alpine Heartsease, Mountain Lentil and Rock Catchfly on the banks and, in a patch of rough ground, a collection of Aconitums, with creamy-yellow Wolf’s-bane, deep blue Common Monk’s-hood, and Variegated Monk’s-hood just coming into flower.